By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Mar. 18, GNA – The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office, has called for the urgent removal of non-tariff, and some technical trade barriers to unlock the full potential of the AfCFTA, particularly for women and youth-led businesses.
Dr Fareed Kwesi Arthur, National Coordinator of AfCFTA said reducing non-tariff barriers such as excessive border delays, restrictive regulations and limited access to finance could empower marginalised groups to thrive in intra-African trade.
Others such as excessive bureaucratic delays and ad hoc fees being charged at some borders, cumbersome document requirements and restrictive regulations on product standards, including other legal requirements, that countries enact to ensure that products are safe to protect the environment or for reasons of national security were troubling.
Consequently, Dr Arthur urged stakeholders and countries to shift from discussions to actionable reforms, creating inclusive opportunities that enhance economic growth and gender equality across the continent.
“I always say that AfCFTA will not be implemented in the boardrooms. AfCFTA will be implemented on the borders with the women who cross the border with their goods, the men who cross the border with their goods and so on.
And the only way we can get governments to push and remove some barriers is by getting civil society advocacy properly and purposefully targeted,” he stressed.
Dr Arthur was speaking at the Central Regional dialogue on AfCFTA protocol on women and youth-led businesses held in Cape Coast on Tuesday.
Held on the theme: “Building resilience of women and youth-led Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises through AfCFTA.”
It brought together key stakeholders in businesses, trade, institutions, agencies, and media.
Dr Arthur called on member countries to be more proactive and promote what he described as targeted advocacy to encourage African governments to remove trade barriers.
He, however, dispelled the perception that implementation of the AfCFTA had been dormant for the past four years, stressing that “47 countries have ratified the agreement, which is unprecedented in Africa. So, there is a lot of political commitment.”
Touching on the benefits of the AfCFTA, Dr Arthur said a successful implementation of the policy would ensure the removal of non-tariff and technical barriers to facilitate increased trading among African countries that currently suffer from low levels of inter-regional trade and high tariffs.
“It is, therefore, fair to say that its successful implementation will promote economic integration and development, regional peace and stability, shared prosperity for all African countries and citizens,” he added.
Dr Arthur reminded the participants that the main purpose of AfCFTA was to create a single market for goods and services across Africa and to boost intra-African trade and economic growth, adding that AfCFTA was launched in March 2018 and its successful implementation will create a market of over 1.3 billion people with a Gross Domestic Product of over $3.4 trillion.
Mr Eduamoah Ekow Payin Okyere, the Central Regional Minister in a statement read on his behalf called on women-led Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the region to tap into the vast opportunities presented by AfCFTA.
The Minister emphasised the enormous potential of the region’s over two million population and investible potential in agriculture, tourism, education, and investment sectors, which could be unlocked through the AfCFTA.
He said by leveraging this agreement, women-led SMEs in the region could expand their customer base, increase exports, and access new markets and investment opportunities.
During an open forum, Madam Richlove Amamoo, the Central Regional Director of the Department of Gender lauded the mainstreaming of gender issues into national economic planning, trade liberalization and business development.
She called for more inclusive implementation of AfCFTA through women empowerment, security, access to finance and removal of sociocultural factors inhibiting women in trade and investment.
Mr Bless Darkeh, the Acting Director of the Central Regional Coordinating Council, recounted challenges with travelling across Africa that made trade and movement of goods and services cumbersome.
For him, Africa would make a quantum leap in development if such measures were expeditiously dealt with to improve trade and investment.
GNA
AT/AD